Ski binding



Aug. 27, 1935. c. N PROCTOR SKI BINDING Filed May 17, 1934 I72 0622 iv(72a 77% M1 Patented Aug. 27, .1935

UNITED STATES 7 .sKI BINDING Charles N; Proctor, Cambridge, Mass.,assignor to Ski Sport, Incorporated, Boston, 'Mass., a corporation ofMassachusetts Application May 17, 1934, Serial No. 726,019

3 Claims. (01. 208-184) This invention relates to an improved type ofski binding or ski iron adapted to secure a ski upon the foot of theuser. Heretofore, various types of metal ski irons havebeen provided,but

generally such devices have been either relatively complicatedto permitadequate adjust:- ment to the shoe of the user or have necessitated theindividual connection ofthe parts of the bindings to the skis as byscrews after purchase of the bindings and skisby theuser. It is dewsirable to have the irons or bindings secured-in place by the maker orseller of the skis, since the latter can take proper precautions againstsplitting and yet assure firm connection of the binding to the ski. Onthe. other hand, it. is highly desirable to afford fastenings of thischaracter Which are simple, light in weight andwhich may be provided ata moderate cost. To this end, the present invention affords a securingor retaining plate which may be fixedly connected to the ski by themanufacturer or by the sporting goods purveyor which sells the ski andiron. to the user, thus the iron may be fastened to the ski by anexpert, employing screws of azproper sizeand arranged in a proper mannerto avoid danger ,of splitting the ski wood and yet to assure a firmconnection. Associated withthe retaining plate are adjustably mountedtoe pieces which may not only be adjusted to accommodate shoes ofdifferent widths, but which are also capable ofangular adjustment inrelation to the longitudinalaxis of the ski.

A novelarrangement of fastening or retaining means is provided forsecuring the toe pieces to .the, retaining plate in the selectedadjusted position. The retaining plate is arranged to extend over thebottom flanges of thetoe pieces which themselves may be, of generallyangular form, the plate having an upwardly pressed central portion underwhich the lower flanges of the toe pieces are received and having endflanges permanently. secured to the ski. The lower flanges of the toepieces are provided with transverse slotsin which screw-threaded engageparts of the screw-threaded'fastening 7 means, such as nuts, to holdthelatter against rotation as the fastening means are tightened orloosened. This arrangement accordingly permitssiinplicity inconstruction and sturdiness of structure, while avoiding unnecessaryweight and complications and retaining the advantages of a binding whichis permanently fixed to the ski and yet, which is adjustable fordifferent sizes and shapes of shoes.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top view of the mid-portion of the ski showing my improvedbinding device applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section indicated by line 33 of Fig. 2 but showing bothsides of the binding;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the binding element with the base plateremoved, various adjusted positions of the toe pieces being shown indotted lines and dot and dash lines;

I Fig, 5 is an isometric view of one of the clamping bolts; and

Fig. 6 is an isometric view of the base plate.

In the accompanying drawing the numeral l designates a portion of awooden ski to which my improved binding device may be applied. Thisdevice comprises a retaining plate 2 which may beformed of sheet metaland has coplanar end flanges 3 permanently held in engagement with theupper face of a base plate 25 by fastening means 5 such as wood screws.These screws also extend through openings 28 in the plate 25 to hold thelatter in place. The intermediate part of the plate 2 is arranged tooccupy a plane in" spaced parallel relation to the flanges 3, thisportion of the plate being designated by numeral 5 and cooperating withthe baseplate 25 in providing a recess or pocket open at its sides, i.e.,

at the sides of the ski, to receive the adjustable toe pieces l. Theretaining plate 2 may have its retaining portion 5 of generallytrapezoidalform, being symmetrically disposed in relation to thelongitudinal axis of the ski' and tapering forwardly toward a narrowerfront portion. The angular parts of the toe pieces 7 may normally bepositioned adjoining the edges of the upraised part 5 of retaining plate2, the exact relationship tioning of the toe pieces. The bottom portionor horizontal flange E8 of each toe piece l is adapted to be slidablyreceived in the pocket provided between the intermediate portions of theretaining plate 2 and of the base plate 25.

"A pair of slots 3 (Figs. 3 and 4) maybe provided in the lower flange itof each toe piece 1,

these slotsextending'transversely of the ski and having straightsubstantially parallel side walls.

of these parts depending upon the adjusted posi- The intermediate part 5of the retaining plate 2 is providedwith a plurality of countersunkopenings to receive the tapered heads of screw fastenings H which mayhave straight shanks engageable in nut elements l2.

Fig. 5 shows more clearly the form of the screw fastening means or boltsconsisting of the elements ii and nuts i2. As shown, the shank of eachelement H maybe a threaded cylindrical part ehg'agdable with acomplementarily threaded opening in the nut element l2. The latter isprovided with rabbeted corner portions l3 so that an upstandingintermediate lug i5 is afforded to be received within a slot 5 of a toepiece, thus to oppose rotation of the nut element 12 as the screw Ii istightened o'r lobseh'ed'by a conventional screw driver. Horizontalsurface portions of the nut H2 at each 'side of the lug iii arecorrugated as designated by numeral Hi to engage corrugated surfaces Hof the the piece at each side 'of the corresponding slot 9, thus to holdthe toe piece firmly in its adjusted position.

The base plate 25 is provided with four openings shaped to receive thenuts 12 to hold them against rotation. Thus as shown particularly inFigs. 2 and 6, integral portions of the plate 25 may be bent downwardlyat the front and rear edges of these openings to provide verticalflanges 2? While 'theiend portions of these flanges may be bent toward"each other to afford horizontal ledges 28.

When a ski binding of this ty'peis to be applied to a ski, suitableopenings or recesses 2! may be formed in the upper portion of the ski toreceive the flanges 2? and 28, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The base plate25 may then be disposed upon the ski with its depending flange portionsreceived in the recesses 2!, the toe pieces 1 then may be looselyconnected to the retaining plate 2 by the fastening means i I -l 2 theseparts may then be arranged so that the openings in the flange 3 of theretaining plate register with the openings '25 of the base plate,whereupon the :parts may be secured upon the ski by screws 3.

In certain cases it may be desirable to afford an additional fasteningmeans to aid'i-n permanently holding the binding .upon the skis. Forthis purpose a central opening may be formed int-he plate 2 to receive afastening screw 4 the adjoining edges of the toe pieces being cut awayto'aflord semi-circular notches which register when the edges of the toepieces are disposed in close juxtaposition.- Thus the screw i may extendthrough the central opening in the retain i-ng plate and between thenotched edges of the toe pieces to aid in securing the binding to the,wood of the ski. I

W-henthe par-ts have been assembled in the described manner upon theski, thelatter is ready for sale to the user. The user adjusts the toepieces i to ii-t the individual shoes with which they are to be used. 7It is evident that the arrangement of the fastening means -I I, -I2 andof 'theslots 9. permits the adjustment of the toe piecesnot only to ;fitshoes of different widths, as indicated byfull and by dot and dash linesin Fig. l, but also that this arrangement may be employed to permit achahge in the angular positioning of the toe pieces relative to thelongitudinal axis 'of the ski, as indicated by dash lines. The recessedportions of the plate '25 with their flanges 21 and -28 are eflective inholding the nuts 12 in proper position to oppose substanitia l rotationthereof and to permit the lug .portions l5 of the nuts .-properly to bereceived by the slots 9 when the nuts I2 are initially tightened.Without such an arrangement there would be a possibility of the nuts 82becoming loosened so that they might rotate out of normal position ordrop into the lower parts of the openings 2!, While the fastening meansare being tightened the rotation of the nuts is opposed by the flangesand, as tightening continues, also by the walls of slots 9. Due to thisarrangement the proper engagement of the corrugations i6 of the nuts andthe corrugations ll of the toe pieces is assured.

It is evident that this invention afiords ski irons or bindingelementsadapted for permanent attachment to the ski but capable of readyadjustment by the user while retaining simplicity of mechanicalconstruction, light weight, and steadiness of structure.

I claim:

1. A ski binding comprising a retaining plate having coplanar endflanges, a base plate adapted to be disposed in engagement with the endflanges ,of the retaining plate, the intermediate portion of theretaining plate being disposed in' a plane parallel to but spaced fromthe plane of the end flanges to cooperate with the base plate indefining a pocket open at the sides of the binding, toe pieces havinglower flanges extending into said .po'cket, said flanges havinggenerally transverse slots and corrugations on their lower iacesadjoining the slots, said base plate having recessed .portionsunderlyingthe slots in the flanges of the toe pieces, and bolts extending throughsaid portion of the retaining plate and said slots, and nuts inscrew-threaded engagement -with said bolts, said nuts being held="a'gainst rotation by the recessed portions of the base plate, saidnuts having corrugations engageable with the corrugations of saidflanges, whereby the latter may be firmly gripped in adjusted position.

2. A ski binding comprising a retaining plate having coplanar 'en'dflanges-a base plate disposed in engagement with the end flanges of theretaining plate, the intermediate portion of the retaining plate beingdisposed in a plane parallel to but spaced from the plane of the endflanges to cooperate with the base plate in defining a pocket open-atthe sides of the binding, toe pieces having lower flanges extending intosaid pocket, said base plate having recessed portions underlying slotsin the flanges of the toe pieces, and bolts extending through saidport-ion of the retaining plate and said slots, and nuts inscrewthreaded engagement with said bolts, said nuts opposed both by thewalls of said slots and by said retaining plate.

"3. -A skibin'ding comprising a retaining plate having coplanarendflanges, a base "plate disposed in engagement with the'end flanges ofthe retainjing plate, the intermediate portion of the'retaining platebeing 'd'isposedin a plane parallel to but spaced froin'th'e pla'n'e ofthe endfla'nges to 000121- erate with't'he base plate'in defininga'pocket open at the sides of the binding, toe pieces having lowerflanges extending into said pocket, said flanges having generallytransverse slots and having corrugations upon theirlower surfaces adjoin- :ing the slots, said base plate having recessed portions underlyingthe slots 'in the flanges of the 'toe pieces,and bolts extending throughsaid portion of the retaining plate and said slots, and nuts inscrew-threaded engagement with said bolts, said nuts being held againstrotation by the recessed portions of the base plate, said nuts havinglugs engageable with the walls of said slots and having corrugationsengageable with the corrugations of the flanges, whereby as the boltsare tightened rotation of the nuts is opposed both by the walls of saidslots and by said retaining plate and the corrugations of the nuts arebrought into proper engagement with the corrugations of the flanges.

CHARLES N. PROCTOR.

